Jacqueline Fernandez

Jacqueline Fernandez is a Sri Lankan actress and former model predominantly active in the Indian film industry. She is also the winner of the 2006 Miss Sri Lanka Universe pageant. Hailing from a multiracial family of Canadian, Sri Lankan, and Malaysian descent, Fernandez spent the early part of her life in Bahrain.

She got a degree in mass communication from the University of Sydney and worked as a TV reporter in Sri Lanka for a considerable period before venturing into the modelling industry.

After representing her country at Miss Universe 2006, she became one of the top models in Sri Lanka. In 2009, during her professional tour to India, she landed the role of Jasmine in Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Aladin’. Her breakthrough role came about in 2011 when she was cast as the female lead Priya in ‘Murder 2’. The film was a critical and commercial success, leading to a thriving career for Fernandez. She has since starred in films like Housefull 2 and 3, ‘Race 2’, ‘Definition of Fear’ and ‘Judwaa 2’. She has won multiple awards and is a brand ambassador of several international companies. An active member of the community, she supports several charitable organizations and a number of causes.

Born on August 11, 1985, in Manama, Bahrain, to Elroy and Kim Fernandez, Jacqueline grew up in a multi-ethnic family. Elroy Fernandez, a musician, left his native country Sri Lanka due to the 1980s civil unrest between the Tamils and the Sinhalese. Kim, an air hostess, is part Malaysian and part Canadian. After marriage, they settled down in Bahrain. Jacqueline is the youngest of their four children. Besides her, they also have two sons and another daughter.